


Tracking Footsteps

by bookareawesome3141



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Friendship, Mystery, Philosophy, Politics, Religion, Romance, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:55:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27477646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookareawesome3141/pseuds/bookareawesome3141
Summary: 14 year old Yona began dreaming of the treacherous future waiting for her in 2 years. When she woke up, she found herself worldly-wise, able to use a sword and a bow, and seeing her beloved Soo-Won in a different light. How will she bargain with him to save her father and Kouka Kingdom?
Comments: 7
Kudos: 16





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The prologue is set in an unknown future. Yona and Soo-Won are both in Hiryuu Castle, but not exactly on good terms.
> 
> You'll eventually find out what happened to the other characters and what the heck is going on.
> 
> I already have a plot worked out, but if you have any suggestions/questions please let me know in the comments.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, hope you enjoy future chapters.

**Prologue**

The work-lights flickered as the sound of footsteps resounded in the otherwise silent castle, and the silhouette of a hooded figure entered the library.

"Excuse me." 

An unprecedentedly determined voice.

Leaning on his chair, Soo-Won looked up from his book, at the dark night sky through the window to his right, and then turned his head to the hooded figure that had entered. 

"…Yona." 

There were countless suppressed emotions contained in her name he managed to utter. 

Her voice that spoke his name also contained various repressed emotions. 

"…Soo-Won." 

The 16 year old girl lowered the hood that covered her face, and her red hair fell, reaching her shoulders. 

"Pardon the late timing; I've come to talk. It concerns the war with the Kai Empire... and my father." 

Yona looked at Soo-Won as if he were a stranger right across the street from her. 

But she hadn't always seen him that way. 

2 years ago, she considered him the man she loved. They had once been close friends. 

Oh, how things had changed.


	2. 2 Years Ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story begins two years before the prologue; the week that changed Yona's life forever.

**2 years ago**

The Kouka Kingdom of 2 years ago was a very different place by far.

It was just before a harsh winter. Poverty and tax corruption were rampant. Military strength was declining. Natural resources were lacking. Threats of foreign invasion came from all sides, as well as inward political threats. Save the Wind Tribe, 4 of 5 tribes had complaints against the 8 year reign of King Il, and this extended to a majority of the populace, whether you were an aristocrat or a commoner.

Except Princess Yona.

The 14 year old King's daughter was rich, pampered, and ignorant of the world outside the walls of the magnificent Hiryuu Castle, located in the heart of the mountains of the Sky Tribe's bustling capital, Kuuto.

In her mind it was a given that her father's governance was generally beneficial for his country. Perhaps he was exceedingly religious, cowardly, and pacifistic for his own good, but if there was one thing she believed in, it was his peaceful ideal. He was diplomatic and wished to prevent future wars. A kind king.

Though her name and red hair was famous worldwide, almost no one knew the Princess personally, and she grew up rather lonely. Her mother, Queen Kashi, was allegedly murdered by rebels when she was 6 years old. Her father placed strict restrictions against his daughter stepping out of the castle, perhaps out of fear that the same fate would befall her. Yona never directly asked her father why, and listened without complaint.

Still, without a mother figure, and her father very busy with duties, she was often lost in how to proceed in life. Her only preoccupations included feminine arts of fashion, dancing, and calligraphy, having the best of times with her two childhood friends, occasionally visiting the sacred Hiryuu Shrine under the throne room to pray to the Dragon Gods with her father, and pursuing the impossible task of one day winning the heart of the man she loved, Soo-Won.

But that all changed during Soo-Won's 5 day stay.

The week he arrived, there was a huge inter-tribe martial arts tournament to be held in Hiryuu Castle. Martial arts tournaments were Kouka Kingdom's largest annual entertainments for the common people, one of the few official games where King Il allowed warriors to compete for glory. All the castle servants, soldiers, farming peasants, and cooks were gossiping about it.

However, as much as Yona heard the gossip, she was restricted from attending. As the daughter of a pacifist, it was of upmost importance to King Il that violence had nothing to do with her, not even her line of sight.

She didn't mind; a girl who knew nothing of the battlefield and little of socializing with strangers was certainly not interested in smiling for crowds as she watched a bunch of people fight each other.

No, what really piqued the Princess's interest that week was dressing up in time for Soo-Won's arrival.

As her cousin and a carrier of royal blood, he would be arriving early to see the show and secure relations with important public figures.

She knew nothing of his plans relating to the tournament, but that mattered little; on the morning of his arrival day, 14 year old Princess Yona's battlefield was her wardrobe of silk clothes and hair ornaments. Her battle was finding the right outfit to wear.

It had been a while since he last visited, so Yona adorned herself in her room to the point of exhaustion.

She reviewed her figure several times in her room mirror, and applied the finest cosmetics with the help of the court ladies.

After 2 hours, she stood up with a determined expression.

_I must look my best if I wish for Soo-Won to notice me!_

* * *

It was evening. The sun was setting, the sky was darkening, stars were beginning to twinkle, and night lights were beginning to be lit by the guards.

It was Yona's opinion at the time that the back courtyard garden of Hiryuu Castle was the most heavenly place on Earth.

The fragrance of yellow honeysuckle, red camellias, white peonies, purple roses, and green grasses invigorated the cool air. Burbling waterfalls, fountains, and chirping crickets were pleasant to the senses. Squirrels and lizards scampered up evergreen trees, and a sparkling lake of indigo stretched across the terrain in zigzags. A bridge connecting each bank of the lake stood, and a gazebo of fine aesthetic wood was built on top.

The rest of Kouka was dyed in fiery red and orange, the color of death as autumn made itself welcome. But this garden somehow always resembled the spring.

When visiting these gardens, Yona usually spent her time in the gazebo to enjoy nature and eat supper. Her father, busy with duties, left Yona to fend for herself. The guards were on standby, ready to protect the Princess, so she felt happy enough.

But not now.

Sitting on the end of a colossal porcelain wish fountain, iridescent as its night lights flicked on, Yona looked down at her empty hands, and sighed.

"Something wrong, Princess?"

At a familiar voice behind her, Yona turned to look at her childhood friend.

A tall man with spiky black hair and a muscular build, wearing a warrior's getup and yielding a large guandao with its pole lodged in the ground, watched her nonchalantly.

The haunting sound of wind chimes tinkled behind him.

"...Hak? Why are you here?"

"I'm your guard. I have to stick annoyingly close to you. You've been sitting here for 4 hours. What are you doing in front of a wish fountain?"

Hak Son was the adopted grandson of the great Wind Tribe hero, Mundok Son. He had recently been appointed as Wind Tribe general and Yona's personal bodyguard. Thus, he was privy to her location most of the time, and often kept her loneliness at bay.

Her red hair fluttered with a soft breeze and settled down at her shoulders.

She held out her hand towards Hak.

Hak took a step back, blinking as Yona's delicate hand was thrust in front of his eyes.

"Why are you holding out your hand, Princess?"

Yona smiled grimly, and asked, "Do you hate my hand, Hak?"

"What?"

"Look at it. You wouldn't want to hold it, would you?"

"Hold it?!"

 _Of course I'd want to hold your hand…_ a voice groaned in the back of Hak's head.

Hak awkwardly scratched the back of his head, looking up at the sky as he wondered what on earth to say in reply without letting his feelings for the Princess slip.

Yona sighed again. "Of course you wouldn't. My hand is ugly to look at, after all."

"Ugly?" Hak questioned, confused.

 _Oh._ He suddenly realized.

With a short sigh, Hak took a seat next to Yona, and asked, "This has to do with Lord Soo-Won, doesn't it? What's going on now, Princess?"

"Well, I –" she began, blushing at Soo-Won's name. "I don't know how to say it, but –"

Hak immediately understood.

"Okay, so you obviously want to hold his hand when he arrives, and you're not sure how to do it."

What a very girly worry.

Yona mumbled, avoiding Hak's gaze, "y-y-yes."

"It's easy enough. Just grab his hand."

"No, no, no!" Yona's expression scrunched in embarrassment. "I can't! It'll be too weird."

That was right. Certainly, it would be embarrassing for the Princess.

However, not for Soo-Won, who was oblivious to Yona's feelings.

Yona's expression returned to the same sullen look that she had before.

Hak put his hands in his pockets, thinking of what to say.

"You still can hold hands. You two did back in the day. It makes no difference to him."

"You say that, but we were little then, Hak. We're older now. Soo-Won might - he might not like it. And that'll count as a rejection."

Yona gloomily turned her head away.

Hak blinked, then scratched his hand again and looked at the distance for a moment.

"Isn't it fine? If it's Lord Soo-Won, he'll surely be fine holding hands with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Try it. Lord Soo-Won's probably arrived by now, anyway. I thought I saw him walking in the hallways."

"What?! Oh no! Thanks for letting me know, but say it earlier next time!"

Yona frantically stood up, dusting her clothes, and then quickly started running towards the castle.

Hak looked at her receding figure for a moment as she ran.

This was the Princess of Kouka, who had never left the palace, and knew nothing of dirt and grime, or hardship. Most assumed she was a spoiled, selfish brat, but she was actually quite sweet if you got to know her. He was ready to defend her integrity to the death.

He shrugged. Surely the two would catch up to him soon.

* * *

After entering one of the grand halls of the castle, Yona took a deep breath and then hurried to find Soo-Won.

Soon, her legs were shaking from the exhaustion of running.

"Soo-Won, where are you?!"

Yona chewed her lips in exasperation, stood up and put her hands on her hips as she fought to catch her breath.

"Were you looking for me, Yona?"

A gentle voice spoke behind Yona, and she jumped in surprise and turned around.

16 year old Soo-Won was warmly smiling at her.

As soon as Yona saw him, she stiffened.

She herself had put so much effort into dressing up, and yet with little effort, he was better-looking than ever. His robes were elegant, and his hair was growing longer, now in a side tail tied by a ribbon.

Her heart raced as she stood there, gazing at him in a daze.

With a rush of adrenaline, Yona finally managed to exclaim his name.

"...S-Soo-Won…!"

"Long time no see, Yona. You seem to be well."

"W-when did you get here?"

"About half an hour ago. I had just greeted his Majesty Il, but…"

Soo-Won bent his knees and back forward, so he was now the same height as Yona, and looked her curiously in the eye.

"...why were you in such a rush to look for me?"

Yona's eyes widened as his face approached hers, and she immediately glanced away from his gaze, her face reddening.

"I-I just heard that you had arrived, so I wondered where you were, is all."

Soo-Won chuckled and patted her head affectionately.

"Aw, how cute! You don't need to be shy about it, I was just about to look for you too, Yona!"

At this, Yona felt irritated beyond comprehension.

_He's still treating me like a child! He doesn't see me as a woman! Even though I dressed up!_

Still, she couldn't show her dissatisfaction on her face, because she didn't exactly want to tell him what she was thinking.

_Heck, I can't even look him in the eye!_

"Um, h-how have you been, Soo-Won?"

Still avoiding his gaze, Yona cupped her flushed cheeks in her sleeves, trying to cool them.

Soo-Won smiled and stood up, much to Yona's relief. She wasn't sure how long she could conceal her feelings with him that close.

"I've been well! Were you just in the back courtyard gardens? Hak was probably with you, right?"

"Huh?" Yona was surprised. "H-how did you know all that?"

Soo-Won laughed kindly. "It would be strange if I didn't roughly understand your radius of action, Yona. We've known each other our entire lives."

"T-true…"

Even if it wasn't much, his friendly words made Yona feel more happiness than he ever imagined.

"U-ummm, so, what are we going to do, Soo-Won?"

"Good question. Why don't I join you and we go for a walk in the gardens? It's a lovely evening."

Yona nodded nervously. "S-sure."

Soo-Won patted Yona's head once more and started walking ahead.

Yona hesitated for a moment, watching Soo-Won's receding figure.

Soo-Won continued walking, but suddenly stopped when he noticed Yona wasn't with him.

He turned around. "Yona?"

Yona looked down, her eyes cloudy with nervousness and doubt.

He watched her for a split second. Then with a soft smile, he held out an open hand.

Yona looked up with shock.

Her sweaty palms gripped the hem of her skirt, and she was almost tempted to ask why Soo-Won was holding out his hand, but eventually building up the courage, she stumbled over and grasped Soo-Won's hand.

She remembered Hak's words: _It makes no difference to him. He'll surely be fine holding hands with you._

"I'm sorry for being so annoying to deal with, Hak," Yona apologized quietly. "You were right. I overthink things."

"Hm? Did you say something, Yona?" Soo-Won asked.

Yona shook her head.

She could feel warmth and comfort from Soo-Won's hand, and she felt happy. A part of her couldn't believe it was real.

"Okay, then shall we go?"

"Huh?"

Soo-Won gently led Yona by the hand, and they began walking briskly towards the back courtyard together.

Yona looked up at Soo-Won, who looked straight ahead as they walked, and then she looked at their hands clasped together.

"Soo-Won…" Yona murmured softly. "...Perhaps... you actually do know everything that I'm thinking."

Soo-Won looked down at her, puzzled.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Ah!" Yona suddenly backtracked on her footsteps. "Oh, it's nothing. Hak is waiting for us. Let's go, Soo-Won."

Taking the lead now, Yona walked ahead and quickly tugged along his hand.

Soo-Won smiled for a moment, and silently followed in suit.

* * *

Hak was polishing his guandao in the courtyard, looking up at the rising moon, when he saw Yona and Soo-Won from afar, walking hand in hand.

Hak smirked.

_What did I tell you, Princess? She made a huge deal over nothing._

"HAAAAAK!" Soo-Won hollered happily from afar, waving his hand.

Hak quickly tied his guandao into a protective cloth, set it next to the fountain, and quickly ran over to greet his best friend.

"Lord Soo-Won," Hak exclaimed once he reached him, "long time no see!"

He bowed, as was customary to do when greeting one of a higher social class, especially royalty.

He noticed Soo-Won was wearing a new hairstyle now; but his powerful and respectable aura had not changed.

Soo-Won touched Hak's shoulders warmly as he rose. "It's so good to see you, Hak! How have you been?"

"I've been well, thanks for asking. You?"

"I've been well! But I suppose your year so far has been more exciting. How are the 5 Tribe meetings going, general?"

"Well," Hak acted comically smug, "Occasionally there're some interesting bits I stick around for."

"Are you ready for the martial arts tournament in 3 days?" Soo-Won asked eagerly.

Yona looked down, unable to relate to this line of conversation between the boys.

Hak sighed. "It's the first time that I'm participating without the Wind Tribe giving me last minute training. But yeah."

It was true that Hak missed the Wind Tribe a bit. Yes, he had visited the castle plenty of times, but living there was different. There were no hot-blooded youths screaming his name, no spear training, no Elder Mundok to give him a hard time, no baby Tae-Yon to play with.

That atmosphere of Fuuga was… well, missing in Hiryuu Castle. Fortunately, he would be able to see those guys at the martial arts tournament after many months.

"You'll definitely do well. I heard you've been training the other Sky Tribe soldiers. They speak very highly of you."

"Hm? Oh, that's nothing special," Hak sheepishly grinned. "I just practice to pass the time. And cause I'm a general now. Would you like to train with me sometime this week, Lord Soo-Won? It'll be like old times with Gramps."

Back when they were children, Hak and Soo-Won had trained together under the tutelage of Mundok in Fuuga, and they were excellent spar partners. Hak nearly won all their matches, but he still enjoyed training with the young lord, and it seemed Soo-Won felt the same way about him.

In a way, training with Soo-Won reminded Hak of home.

"That would be splendid!" Soo-Won beamed. "In swordsmanship, spearmanship, or archery?"

"How about archery?" Hak suggested. "On horseback? We would have to ask His Majesty Il to borrow horses from the castle stables, though. Maybe tomorrow."

"On horseback?!" Yona repeated incredulously. "Count me out, horses are terrifying!"

Hak and Soo-Won looked at each other and then at Yona, bewildered.

"How are horses terrifying?" They asked her in unison.

Yona's cheeks puffed red as she struggled to come up with an acceptable answer, "well, you see," she started, "horses are super tall, and fast, and dangerous! It's scary to ride one!"

"Princess," Hak sniggered, "you're only saying that because you never rode one. We have."

"That's not the point!" Yona retorted. "You two ignore the dangers!"

Soo-Won touched Yona's shoulder. "It's not that scary if you're careful, Yona. Why not consider joining us? You don't need to know how to shoot arrows to ride one, at least."

"Nah, don't include her. She's just scared of horses because she thinks she looks like one."

"WHA - I DON'T LOOK LIKE A HORSE! I'LL KICK YOU, HAK!"

"But there is something wrong with your head, Princess, so you'll end up thinking that you do."

Yona blushed in annoyance, "Shut UP, Hak! There's something wrong with your head if you think I see myself as a horse!"

Soo-Won laughed at their banter. "It's nice to see you two are close as ever."

"How on Earth can you see us as close, Soo-Won?!" Yona cried. "Hak is so infuriating – where is his guandao – I want to tear him to shreds with it right now!"

Yona ran from the spot towards the fountain, still annoyed but now half-giggling at the prospect of slashing Hak with his own guandao.

"Princess! Wait!"

"Yona!"

Both Hak and Soo-Won struggled not to laugh as they called out her name, running to catch up with her.

Still, Yona had a head-start on them, and after running through the numerous bushes, flowers and grasses, she reached the fountain where Hak's guandao lay.

She had run there on impulse; while Hak did annoy her, she had no real intention to fight him. It was all in good fun.

Unfortunately, her actions backfired.

When she crouched over the guandao and thought to untie the protective cloth over it, she saw the fine and sharp jagged metal, and her giggles faded.

It was a polearm. The blade was silver, with a small hook on the reverse side. It was about 40 cm long, fixed into a golden socket-shaft. The pole looked 7 meters long.

She had never touched a weapon. Her father had never allowed it.

Plus, this was Hak's weapon. It wasn't meant for someone like her.

Yet, as she saw the smooth and shiny iron cut up close, something within her bubbled for the first time in her life.

A desire - a thirst - to pick up the weapon - and use it.

Why was she feeling this way? All this time she'd had no desire to use weapons. She could even say she was afraid of them.

Yet now, something was drawing her to this guandao, and all of a sudden, before she knew it, she was now somehow yielding it by the pole.

It was heavy, no doubt, and yet for some reason - she was able to do it -

"STOP!"

A distressed voice cried out from afar.

_Hak… Soo-Won… what's happening?_

Vaguely, Yona registered that her arms were swinging the guandao along like it was a part of her, whether by her own doing or something else.

When did my arms begin to move? Why… does it feel so… natural?

A strong gust of wind blew. The sound of wind chimes grew louder and louder.

"Yona, what are you doing?! You'll hurt yourself!"

"Princess, King Il forbade you from using weapons!"

"How is she doing this?!"

Her head felt fuzzy, her world was spinning, and all she could see was a scorching wave of bloodshed.

_Huh…_

And before she knew it, darkness seeped from the corners of her eyes, and engulfed the red in an endless black.

* * *

_**It was her 16th birthday.** _

_**She and Soo-Won were in one of the grand hallways of Hiryuu Castle.** _

_**Soo-Won slipped his hand into his robe and pulled out a pretty violet flower hairpin.** _

_**He held out the hairpin and Yona accepted it, reddening when her fingers accidentally brushed against his.** _

_**"…A hairpin..."** _

_**"Sorry for calling you out here. I thought it suited you, so I wanted to give it!"** _

_**His smile was so warm and kind, and by instinct, Yona's hands held onto the hairpin tightly.** _

_**That night, she had planned to convince her father that she loved Soo-Won, to allow a marriage between them, but when she entered her father's chambers that night, what she saw made her blood boil in shock.** _

_**Soo-Won was stabbing through her father's heart with a sword.** _

_**His eyes looked empty and dead, devoid of all warmth.** _

_**Blood spilled from King Il's chest. Some of it was on Soo-Won's face.** _

_**"King Il will never open his eyes again. I killed him."** _

* * *

Yona jolted up in her futon bed with a silent-choked scream.

Looking at the familiar ceiling decoration of her bed chamber, everything came to mind at once.

What was that? Soo-Won killing her father? Impossible!

Her beloved Soo-Won would never betray his Uncle like that. He wouldn't betray her like that.

Why such a nightmare? Such a possibility never entered her head!

Yona struggled to process this information, head in her hands.

After a few moments of gasping, she wiped her sweaty hair back from her forehead and looked around.

"I'm… in my room…?" She questioned blankly.

She could barely see, as no lights were on. No one was in the room. No guards stationed out of the room, either. How did she end up here?

Slowly, she began tracking the events of that evening.

"I was with Soo-Won and Hak… Hak said something stupid… I joked that I would strike him with his guandao… I ran towards it, and…"

Yona trailed off.

All she remembered was picking it up, a gust of wind, some screams…

…and then tainted red, followed by darkness.

"…I fainted?"

Maybe she shouldn't have recklessly tried wielding a heavy weapon unsuited for her stature. She wasn't thinking straight that moment.

"Where is everyone?"

Surely, Hak and Soo-Won would have called some medical officers. She would have been tucked in bed. Her father had probably been notified as well.

Were they all having dinner without her, now?

Perhaps they were in the great dining hall 3 floors down, eating with everyone.

Yona pushed her blanket aside, and scrambled out of bed. Her limbs were aching from using the guandao, but she had no serious injuries.

Lighting the oil lamps in the floor standing candelabra at the end of her room, she looked at herself in the mirror.

She was wearing night clothes, and all her make-up had been removed. A court lady had changed her clothes while she was unconscious.

 _So much for making a good impression on Soo-Won..._ She grumbled in disappointment.

Putting on her night slippers and softly creaking open the room door, Yona slipped out of the door and began walking through the halls.

The halls were dimly lit. She needed to find a staircase that would lead her to the first floor.

But on the way down, something made her freeze in her footsteps.

_Two arguing voices. One sounds like… Father?_

It was coming from a drawing room from the second floor.

_But why would Father be there?_

Then Yona recalled – the candle clock on her candelabra indicated past midnight.

_Dinner is just after sunset. I must have missed it! Everyone is asleep. Is Father still on duty?_

Yona hesitated; she did not want to disturb her father.

Still, one thing was off. Why was he on the second floor, and not in the King's room? Who was he speaking to?

Cautiously, Yona edged near the drawing room, and peered through a glass square in the door.

Her breath hitched in her throat.

It was _Soo-Won_.

"Do not try to make excuses, Soo-Won," Il's voice was low and grave. "I know you are the one who told her to touch that guandao."

Soo-Won's back was facing Yona's view, so she could only see Il's face. Both held no weapons, which slightly relieved Yona.

"King Il, I speak the truth. No one told her to touch it, Yona ran towards it. She was just joking. She did not intend to hurt anyone."

"Joking that she would use a weapon against my orders?!" Her father's face looked offended, as if he had been accused of being a horrible parent and king. "Against the orders I gave Hak? My subordinate would never let her touch a weapon, and that's why he was against her practicing archery on horseback. He's a lot more trustworthy than you."

"As I said, Hak joked that she was afraid of horses – "

"And he was speaking the truth! It is not safe for her."

" – both of us tried to catch up to her when she ran towards it, but – "

"Nonsense! Hak can catch up to Yona in an instant! He's taller and stronger, the strongest soldier alive! You're comparing his ability to hers? He never would let this happen if he had known. It was you."

Il pointed a finger at Soo-Won, and Yona gasped as she saw Soo-Won's figure begin to tremble and shake. But she could not see his face.

"It was not me. I had nothing to do with it." Soo-Won voice was ice cold, seething with anger as he stressed each word. "Yielding Hak's weapon was her decision. Why on Earth do you imply that I – "

"That you're a liar? Damn right you are. I told you, Soo-Won. She is the reincarnation of Hiryuu. You are not like her. She needs to be protected and cherished as a gift from the Gods. She never held a weapon in her life, how could she suddenly feel an urge to yield one?"

"I said it was a joke! She didn't really mean to, but somehow – "

"Somehow she destroyed the entire garden she loves to spend her time in with an 8 foot guandao? Liar. You forced practicing archery upon her, then you forced the guandao on her. Hak tried to stop her, but it was too late."

"Let me finish my sentences at least before making accusations, King Il!"

King Il's face was livid, and his mustache flared. "No, I will NOT," he spat. "Your sentences are all fabrications. The next time you try to be alone with her, I will order my guards to separate you two."

"I wasn't trying to be! Hak was also there! Ask him and Yona! They'll tell you what really happened! We were all together!"

"As a pretense of course! Hak has already spoken to me, he was calling a medical officer as she fainted, there's no way he saw what else you did to the garden. I've tried to be hospitable as I could towards you, but you're just like your father, violent, arrogant, a heretic. You wanted to injure her and cover up the evidence."

"THAT'S ENOUGH! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT – ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT – TO INSULT MY FATHER!" Soo-Won's voice screamed.

At this, Yona jumped back a few steps, frightened from head to toe.

She had never heard Soo-Won speak like this to her father.

"No matter what you say, I will not believe you, and that is final," Il repeated in defiance, regaining his composure. "She will not be riding a horse with you and Hak tomorrow. And I only agreed to let you and Hak practice archery because Hak asked. I am watching your every move, Soo-Won. If it gets further than this, you will be banned from entering this castle ever again."

Soo-Won did not reply.

Il brushed past him to click open the door and leave, but by the time he exited, Yona had dashed all the way to her room.

In a panic, she snuffled out all her lamps and fell with a flop on her futon bed, her mind stunned with blood-curdling fear and tears throughout the rest of the night.


	3. A new age

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yona's a bit flighty, isn't she? She's spontaneous, bratty, and forgets important information until her memory is triggered by a point being mentioned again. That's because she's not very experienced with the world, so she bumbles her way through as she handles information that continuously shocks her and is vastly different from the life she leads. She lacks stamina to use weapons because she rarely physically exerts herself, but don't worry, she'll begin to build up stamina as time goes on.
> 
> That is how I intended to portray her beginning character arc, for realism. On the bright side, she is still a smart and spunky girl who can put two and two together and trudges forward towards truth. She asks the right questions and is like a detective, curious and determined to find answers to mysteries, while exercising caution and doubt. And she's a kind girl who genuinely cares about Il, Hak, Soo-Won respectively, and all in all, wants to find a happy ending for everyone.
> 
> But will she find it?

**A new age**

The first light of dawn ushered in a new age for Yona.

For the entirety of that night, after witnessing the argument between her father and beloved, she had no nightmares.

Because that scene alone was a nightmare, and she could not sleep.

She stared without seeing at her ceiling decorations for hours.

All that burned in her mind was the way King Il and Soo-Won acted towards each other.

_Why? Why? Why?_

_Why would they act like that? What were they talking about? What is the relationship between Father and Soo-Won?_

She asked herself questions she never imagined she would analyze so critically – that she didn't notice the rising sun reaching her window.

She just wanted to stay in bed forever.

But as that was impossible, her room door clicked open.

In a split second she panicked and sat up, but she instantly relaxed when the two faces that appeared were neither King Il nor Soo-Won.

It was Hak and Min-Su, King Il's assistant.

"Hak… Min-Su…" She only said hollowly.

Hak stood up tall and Min-Su came holding a tray of dishes covered with cloth.

"Princess, here," Min-Su carefully sat next to Yona and put the tray in her lap.

Yona removed the cloth and found steamed rice and miso soup.

"Oh… breakfast."

"Not even a 'good morning', Princess?" Hak now leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

Yona awakened at this. "It's morning?" She looked out of the window, and back at Hak, who nodded.

"Try to give her some space, the poor thing's been famished all night," Min-Su patted her head, trying to alleviate the situation.

Yona negated, "no, no, I apologize. Good morning, you two. And thank you, Min-Su." She grabbed chopsticks and began grabbing at her rice.

Hak sighed. "Nah, don't apologize. You fainted." He pushed himself off the wall, walked over to Yona, and looked down at her intently.

"What?" Yona asked, chewing rice stuffed in her mouth.

"You look super tired, Princess. Are those tear streaks? Looks like you've been crying. Had a nightmare?"

Yona's back chilled at "nightmare".

"Not at all," she said too quickly, "I just –"

She inadvertently touched her face, and found it damp.

"W-wait!" In an instant, Yona gulped down her rice.

Pushing her breakfast tray into Min-Su's surprised hands, Yona stood up, stretched, and then quickly walked over to her room mirror.

A lifeless girl with eye bags, streaked tears, and the ugliest hair gazed right back at her.

"That's me? Hak, how did you manage to notice that? You're observant as ever!"

The next second, she was doubling over in pain from stretching.

"No," Hak half-laughed, half-grimaced, "I think it's rather obvious you need serious help if stretching does that to you. Don't physically exert yourself."

"It's… because… I used…. your heavy… guandao… Hak!" Yona winced as Min-Su guided her back to her bed and set the tray on her lap once more. "I'm… sorry! Did I… break it?"

"Nah, it's intact in my room. If anything, I'm surprised that it didn't break you."

Hak looked at her now with an emotion he never had before.

 _Why did it resemble awe?_ Yona wondered.

"Exactly… what happened to me?" Yona asked, now sipping her miso soup.

Hak was a bit bewildered now. "Wait, you mean you don't remember?"

"Well, you said I fainted, but how – "

"You began swinging around the guandao like – like you knew how to hold one!" Hak suddenly exclaimed. He noticed his arms were suddenly raised, and then he controlled himself and put them down at his sides. "Like you were possessed. Like a natural."

"A natural?"

"Mother nature herself. You destroyed the entire garden."

Yona's eyes widened as a line King Il had told Soo-Won came flooding back.

"Somehow she destroyed the entire garden she loves to spend her time in with an 8 foot guandao?"

"Wha –" Yona stuttered, pointing at herself. "Me?! That's impossible, what are you saying? How am I supposed to hold an 8 foot guandao and destroy that huge garden?"

"It's 9 feet and ¾ of an inch, actually," Hak replied smoothly. "And I didn't see you destroy the garden; just your arms swinging around like..." he trailed off. "Even though it was so heavy that you lost stamina and fell unconscious in the middle. You went crazy. Tell me how that's possible. Don't you know why you wouldn't do something like that?"

"I don't know!" Yona said in disbelief, running her hands through her hair in desperation to recover some semblance of order. "What you're saying makes no sense – I can't swing your guandao around like that, much less when I'm unconscious! What could I possibly be 'possessed' by?"

"I'm telling you, that's what I saw. I had to call a medical officer. By the time I came back, Soo-Won was holding you from collapsing and the entire garden was demolished. How can you not remember?"

Yona stopped dead.

"…Soo-Won…?"

_"Liar. You forced practicing archery upon her, then you forced the guandao on her."_

Her father's biting words.

What actually happened? Was Father telling the truth? Did Soo-Won do something?

Yona couldn't recall.

"Hm? Yeah, he stopped your rampage."

"Is that so?"

But Yona wasn't so sure.

_Well, Hak at least seems to think Soo-Won did nothing…_

Hak and Min-Su began to talk to each other, and Yona silently resumed eating her breakfast.

After a few moments, her bowls were empty.

She stood up, briskly chose a few ornaments to wear (changing her nightgown in the morning would hurt her sore limbs) so she wouldn't look like she just came out of bed, and sighed aloud.

_How could the entire garden be destroyed by me?_

Hak and Min-Su's words faded and they looked at her.

"Hak, Min-Su," Yona interrupted loudly, not looking at them. "I think I'll be going straight to the garden to investigate the damage I did."

She started walking with the tray, planning to return it to the kitchen, but she jumped when Hak's towering figure blocked the door.

"No can do, Princess. King Il summoned you to the great dining hall after breakfast. I came here to tell you."

"He summoned me? Why? Doesn't he have duties?" Yona looked up at Hak, confused.

Min-Su took the tray out of her frozen hands, "Princess, I'll take that," and walked out of the door in a flash.

Hak shrugged. "He wants to see you."

"What about Soo-Won?"

"What about him?"

"Is he… there? In the great dining hall… with my father?"

Hak was perplexed by her question. "Well, of course he is. He's eating breakfast with everyone else. The only reason you're not eating with us is because you fainted."

Yona's stomach did an uneasy flip flop as she recalled Soo-Won screaming at her father.

Hak put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and guided her out of the room.

"I'll be your escort. Let's go, Princess."

* * *

The great dining hall of Hiryuu Castle was the largest in Hiryuu Castle. A magnificent rectangular hall, 3 times longer than wide, with countless tables. Several first-floor windows lit the room, and there was a large bay window balcony. The hall was usually used for usual meals, and especially for feasts and banquets, often on days of celebratory occasion.

This hall was decked out to impress and entertain the most important visitors.

Yona entered through a screens passage with Hak. On the other end of the great hall was the dais, where the top table was situated. The further one seated from it, the less important they were, right through to the least important people at the back of the hall.

King Il, some high-class nobles trying to get in favor with him, and Soo-Won all sat at the top table.

Yona was about to call out hello, but then she looked around at all other tables, disconcerted.

All the court ladies, eunuchs, and castle servants sitting were looking at her with shock and dread. Some of them were whispering to each other and indirectly pointing at her. Yona also noted a few visitors from other tribes were there.

_Ah… the day of the martial arts tournament draws near._

"What's going on? Why are they all looking at me like that?" She whispered to Hak, nodding towards all the people.

"Oh," Hak's face changed, and he leaned over apologetically. "Unfortunately, news travels fast. They've all been talking about you. Rumor is that yesterday Princess Yona was sighted using a guandao and destroying the back courtyard gardens in Hiryuu Castle. It'll probably spread to the other tribes in due time. Maybe even a foreign country like Xing."

"What?! You can't be serious!"

She had never gotten any publicity, as far as she knew, beyond her birth and red hair. The thought of being scrutinized terrified her.

"It can't be helped. You're the Princess, but you acted like there was something wrong with your head. You'd best ignore it until the rumors die down."

Yona pouted. In any other situation she could tell Hak to shut up, but now she wasn't sure about anything.

Nearing the dais, Yona smoothed out her nightdress, and took a deep breath and walked over to the top table, with Hak right on her heels.

At the arrival of the Princess, the high-ranking nobles got up and left the table.

"G-good morning, Father," she said with forced gaiety, not looking at Soo-Won. "You summoned me?"

King Il, who had just finished eating, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and turned to look at Yona.

"Ah, good morning, dear," he said, with a relieved smile. "Yes, I did. How are you? You gave quite me the scare last night. Good to see you're back in action."

Yona suddenly felt extremely embarrassed and ashamed.

By touching Hak's guandao, not only had she disobeyed her father's orders, she had also broken their familial ideal of pacifism.

And now this news would spread to other tribes?

Immediately, she put her hands at her sides and bowed to her father, red hair covering her face and touching the ground.

"Father, I'm so, so, so, so sorry! I don't know what got over me!" Yona apologized, squeezing her eyelids shut, and bracing for the worst.

King Il, Hak, and Soo-Won all goggled at Yona.

King Il quickly surveyed their surroundings; all the other tables were now gawking at Yona as well.

"Yona," King Il coughed awkwardly, patting her shoulder, "Yona, do rise. It's all right. However, we will have to discuss this in a – better – setting."

Yona rose up again, albeit clumsily at her father's touch. "O-of course."

Hak's large boots clumped as he walked over to King Il and bowed.

"Your Majesty, Lord Soo-Won and I will be going to the armory to gather our weapons, and then stables to borrow horses, if that's all right with you."

But she remembered. That Hak and Soo-Won had agreed to go horse-riding in the morning, and Soo-Won encouraged her to join.

So they had discussed this with her father.

"Yes, that's fine," King Il waved his hand to give permission, "You'll have to talk to the head senior officer there, though. Choose horses that aren't being groomed by handlers. And you'll have to be designated to one of training grounds, won't you? Try the one in the back."

That's next to the back courtyard gardens! Yona thought.

"I'll – be going too!" She impulsively blurted out.

Instantly, she regretted saying it when she saw the frown on her father's face, and another awkward silence ensue throughout the hall, especially among Hak and Soo-Won.

"No," he said sternly, "I'm afraid you will not be allowed to join Hak and Soo-Won today, Yona. You fainted yesterday, so your health is of utmost importance. It is too dangerous."

"It's not that dangerous, Father, if I am careful!" Yona replied again without thinking.

"It's not that scary if you're careful, Yona."

Vaguely, she remembered Soo-Won telling her something similar.

_Huh? Why am I repeating what he said?_

Even so, she avoided looking at Soo-Won, who, unknown to her, also recognized this similar wording, but said nothing.

"Yona," King Il said with a tone of warning, "you were not careful yesterday. Besides, they will also be practicing archery," he raised one eyebrow, "I think holding one weapon is enough, don't you?"

Yona flushed with shame, remembering running wildly towards Hak's guandao, disrespecting her father's wishes.

She bowed again. "I'm sorry, Father. You're right."

Yet, as she rose, a subconscious part of her felt dissatisfied by her father's reply. She couldn't comprehend why.

Hak attempted to lighten up the mood. "All right," he took a deep breath, then smiled. "We'll be going now. Thank you for your support."

"My pleasure."

"Ready to go, Lord Soo-Won?" Hak now grinned eagerly, looking up at the young lord.

Soo-Won, who had finished his morning meal a while back, nodded. "Yes."

_They've already prepared to go without me?_

Why did it bring a twinge of pain in her? She never cared to ride a horse before.

Yona wanted to cry out to her father to let her join her friends, but this time, nothing came out of her mouth.

_"My subordinate would never let her touch a weapon, and that's why he was against her practicing archery on horseback. He's a lot more trustworthy than you."_

_"She will not be riding a horse with you and Hak tomorrow. And I only agreed to let you and Hak practice archery because Hak asked. I am watching your every move, Soo-Won."_

Il's words seemed to come from a dream. Yona began to grasp why she felt dissatisfied with her father.

Because he was hiding the real reason he wasn't letting her join Hak and Soo-Won.

_He believes Soo-Won tried to injure me. In fact, he's only letting Soo-Won practice archery because of Hak. He thinks Soo-Won told me to hold Hak's guandao._

But that wasn't true. She remembered that she ran towards it, because Hak joked that she shouldn't ride, because she looked like a horse.

_...But that was because Soo-Won suggested I ride a horse._

Her heart thudded in panic.

No way. Soo-Won wasn't trying to influence her to hurt herself, was he?

She shook her head, and apprehensively, her eyes looked away from King Il and found Soo-Won for the first time.

She quietly gasped.

Soo-Won was stabbing through her father's heart with a sword.

His eyes looked empty and dead, devoid of all warmth.

Something was different. She was suddenly seeing Soo-Won in a way she never had before: with shock, fear, and mistrust in the back of her mind.

Like out of that nightmare.

She knew she had no justification, no evidence, to think of him this way. But after that fiasco with her father...

_How does Father see Soo-Won? Why does Father mistrust Soo-Won? Is Soo-Won dangerous?_

Without a word to King Il or Yona, Soo-Won stood up from the table.

His line of sight promptly spotted Yona looking at him, but just as quickly as it came, it passed away from her, and he walked down the dais and stood next to Hak.

 _That's right..._ Yona realized with a sigh. _Father also told Soo-Won to keep distance from me. Otherwise he would normally say good morning. Otherwise he would have tried to convince Father to let me join... right?_

With a confused, pained heart, she watched Soo-Won and Hak's backs as they walked away from her and out of the great dining hall for a long time.

_Was Soo-Won really like this because of Father's orders? Or... has he always been this way, and I never knew?_

* * *

A few hours later, Yona was in the King's office with her father, after King Il had held council with the royal court.

Huge braziers hung at 4 corners lit up every part of the room and bathed it in a red glow.

Immense, stained glass windows depicting important figures from the Legend of the 4 Dragons were contoured by golden draperies, adorned with intricate embroidery and gilded linings.

2 guards were stationed outside the office on watch.

Yona was now dressed up in her daytime dress, standing in front of her father as he sat at his worktable, scribbling through some parchment.

"Father," Yona asked, "what exactly happened to me? I don't really remember."

She wanted to hear his version of the story.

King Il put down his writing brush and gazed at her for a moment. "I see. I assume that's due to fainting. You were cared for by medical officers. I received a report from them that you had fainted, and went to check up on you. Hak told me that you held his guandao."

"Yes, I did..." Yona admitted.

"Why did you use a weapon, Yona?" Her father questioned her. "You know that violence is wrong. What got into you?"

"I didn't – " Yona faltered, "– I didn't intend to hurt anyone – "

"So you say, but the back courtyard gardens are destroyed. All the garden renovators are having to fix it."

A pang of guilt and pain struck Yona, and she bowed again.

"I'm so sorry!"

"The only one you should be apologizing to is yourself," King Il said. "You broke your moral code, and now you've lost your garden. Including the gazebo."

"Oh no..." Yona's hands flew to her mouth in horror. "I must see the damage!"

She turned around towards the door.

"Where are you going?" King Il asked. "The garden is off limits for you."

Yona stopped and turned. "Why?"

"This is your punishment," King Il said plainly. "Fainting does not condone your actions. You really cannot be trusted with gardens, much less weapons. Thus, you will spend your future time with me. Otherwise, you will stay inside the castle, with Hak watching over your actions 24 hours a day."

"What? But what about Soo-Won?"

"What about him?" King Il raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't Hak and I allowed to spend time with him, too?"

"Hak certainly is, when you are with me," he answered, crossing his fingers and leaning back in his chair. "Otherwise... you are not allowed to meet with Soo-Won for some time."

Yona expected this. But it still hurt to hear.

"Why?" She croaked, walking back towards her father. "Soo-Won's only staying for 5 days. Can't I spend even a little time with him?"

"This is your punishment, Yona. I am also making this decision for your safety."

"And what is so dangerous about Soo-Won that I need to be kept safe from?!" Yona asked with a tone of disbelief, bringing the conversation to where she wanted.

"If I recall correctly..." King Il's voice was low enough to cause a few braziers to flicker. "Hak also told me that Soo-Won encouraged you to ride on horseback and practice archery."

"Not archery, just horse-riding."

"Whatever it was, it propelled you towards holding that guandao, even though Hak was against it."

"Hak against it? Hak was joking that I shouldn't ride a horse!"

"Why do you think he joked, Yona?"

"Why else? And what does that have to do with Soo-Won?"

"Soo-Won alone is not the problem, dear," King Il said. "It's who you became when encouraged towards an inclination to use weapons – by anyone. Hak can practice sword-fighting and archery all he wants with Soo-Won. But you can't, because we're not sure what will happen to you."

Yona was upset. "Yet you allow me to spend time with Hak, who also uses weapons?"

"Hak is under my direct orders to not encourage you to use weapons, and protect you. He is the only exception to this rule."

King Il's reply made sense, but it was still roundabout and vague. Yona didn't really understand; all she knew was that he was hiding something from her.

"...I'm not sure what to think, Father."

"Believe me, Yona. I know what is best for you, I am doing this for your welfare. One day you will understand."

Yona stood, somber.

"Why not sit?" Il mentioned towards a chair tucked into the worktable on his opposite side.

Without another word, Yona pulled out the chair and sat down, watching her father continue idly scribbling at his parchment.

Yona had always followed her father's orders without complaint. Her father had raised her with care, and always given her what she wanted.

But he wouldn't allow her to even meet with Soo-Won?

Why? Something was off. Soo-Won was their family.

"You're just like your father, violent, arrogant..."

Her father had said that to Soo-Won last night behind closed doors, and –

Soo-Won was stabbing through her father's heart with a sword.

His eyes looked empty and dead, devoid of all warmth.

Blood spilled from King Il's chest. Some of it was on Soo-Won's face.

"King Il will never open his eyes again. I killed him."

– the nightmare once again struck her into sheer terror.

That wasn't real... but in line with her father's words.

Could it be that her father was simply protecting himself from danger?

"THAT'S ENOUGH! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT – ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT – TO INSULT MY FATHER!"

Yet Yona felt mixed feelings when recalling the raw anger and pain on Soo-Won's side.

There was something she couldn't put her finger on – that she didn't know.

Is what Father said completely true? Perhaps Soo-Won may have had a reason for acting like that as well.

After all, why would her father call Uncle Yu-Hon violent and arrogant?

Sure, the late Uncle Yu-Hon was scary, from what she remembered. But he was still her father's brother.

"Er..." Yona changed the subject. "Father, what are you doing? Preparing for the martial arts tournament?"

Il was disconcerted, but continued writing. "I'm surprised to see you show any interest in the tournament."

"It's only because you usually never let me see you on duty," she laughed nervously, "and because of the castle gossip. What is that?" She pointed to his parchment.

"A letter. I'm writing to Mundok about the number of troops they are allowed to send. The Wind Tribe does not boast much in numbers, but their strength."

"Mundok?" Before she could help it, a happy smile formed on Yona's lips, and she laughed, clapping her hands in delight. "Yayy! It's been so long since Mundok visited, I'm so excited to see him!"

Hak's adopted grandfather and great Wind Tribe hero, Mundok, was a strong, but warm, old, grandfatherly man. Very good with children. Yona considered him like her own grandfather.

"I am too," Il said, "but you will only be allowed to meet him only after the tournament ends. You will stay in your room, with a court lady to watch over you."

"...All right, Father."

The sound of the writing brush dipping in ink and scrawling pervaded the air.

"Father, may I go to the garderobe?"

"You may, but a court lady will go with you. Don't get any funny ideas. I want you to return very soon."

Yona slowly rose from her chair, as King Il beckoned a court lady to enter the room and escort Yona to the lavatory.

* * *

The garderobe was built so that it projected out on corbels on the exterior sides of the castle walls. A hole in the bottom of the squat toilets let all waste drop into a pit below, sometimes reused as fertilizer for vegetarian, pescetarian lifestyles. The waste products of rich people were sold at higher prices because their diet was better, and Hiryuu Castle was the richest place around.

Yona had just entered the garderobe, with the court lady standing outside.

Unknown to the court lady, Yona did not enter this garderobe to relieve herself.

Walking past the stone walls, toilets, and water basins to wash one's hands, Yona reached the end of the garderobe, where bars were put at a small window.

From up here, she could see beyond the castle. The endless skies, lush landscape, the prairies, and glimpses of the the bustling city far away below and all the tiny dots of commoners and merchants walking around.

From this corner, while the back courtyard gardens of the castle weren't visible, the training grounds next to it were.

The training grounds were located in a wooded field, lined by fences. Near the left end of the field, were stationary circular targets, each at varying distances and with 6 rings.

Her eyes scanned around the training grounds, and eventually found Hak and Soo-Won on horses on the right end of the field.

The horses were magnificent and beautiful to look at, but it was strange to see her friends from so far away, on saddles and controlling horse reins. They looked so tiny.

But what astounded Yona most of all was their skill at archery.

With straight backs and a relaxed but firm grip on the bow, with their fingers on the bowstring, their eyes were fixed on different targets as they fired arrows from their longbows.

As she watched them, she quickly understood; Hak was better at archery, nearly always hitting the target, while Soo-Won missed a few times.

But both Hak and Soo-Won were able to practice for hours. They were in a different world from her.

Yona reached out to touch the window bars, yearning to meet them.

Before she touched the window bars, however, her foot accidentally hit a protrusion on the ground.

"Ow!" Yona nearly slipped, but caught herself.

Lifting her skirt, she looked down, and was shaken to see something like a box lodged in the ground. It was made of stone, but looked different from all the other tiles.

She poked at it with her foot, and froze when she saw the tile move and shake. It was flimsy. Perhaps the tile setters needed to repair it...

 _No._ Yona realized with a start. _This is... this is a trapdoor. Underneath it is a secret passageway Soo-Won had told Hak and I about._

Memories came flooding back. 8 years ago, they had used this secret passageway to sneak out to capital Kuuto. She had completely forgotten.

Though, capital Kuuto wasn't the only stop. This passageway had paths that also led to other areas in the castle, like the underground water source, and the armory.

The training grounds were nearby as well.

Yona looked up at the window, where Hak and Soo-Won continued to practice.

She looked behind her, where the court lady still stood outside the lavatory, waiting for her to return.

Sweat droplets formed on her forehead as she looked down again at the tile.

* * *

"Princess Yona?" After nearly 45 minutes, the door opened, and the court lady who had escorted Yona entered. "You're done, aren't you? You've taken so long, you mustn't be any more selfish. We have to get back, or else his Majesty will – "

The court lady gasped, dropping the laundry cloth she held when she realized no one was in the lavatory.

"Princess Yona?" She called in vain. "Princess Yona, where are you?"

But no one responded. The only clue, the protruding tile, was now lodged in so securely that the court lady could not catch it.

Another court lady walking by came up to her. "What's the matter?"

"Alert his Majesty. Princess Yona is missing!"

* * *

Yona had decided to take a risk and embark through a secret passageway by herself, shielded by nothing but memories that luckily helped her recall the terrain and keep fear at bay.

Well, most of the terrain. She meant to go to the training grounds, but after 15 minutes of walking through the dark, dusty, hollow passageway tunnels, she was somehow in the castle armory.

"Hello?" She coughed dust out from her throat and lungs, and called out hesitantly, but the armory was empty.

_If this is the armory, surely the barracks are near..._

This was a section of Hiryuu Castle that was a mystery to her. Her father would probably lose his temper if he found out she was here.

But she had to do this. Because –

I want an answer from Soo-Won. The reason he acted the way he did to my father last night. I want to hear it from him.

It was the only way she could be rid of the anxiety plaguing her from her nightmare, and possibly convince her father to lift his restrictions.

Surely this all had to be some misunderstanding. Surely.

_But if I'm found by guards or soldiers, Father will know I'm here..._

Keeping that in mind, Yona kept close to the walls to conceal herself, held her breath and looked around.

Inside the armory were a cache of heavy weapons, weapon and armor workbenches, and a row of targets at the end of the room.

Something boiled in Yona's blood.

_Why... am I in this room?_

She felt slightly dizzy. More sweat was forming on her forehead.

Instinctively, her eyes roamed for a door to leave the armory –

_I have to get out, and track down S..._

– but Yona faltered. Her eyes found a wooden bow, its stave bent and held in tension by a string.

Visions of Hak and Soo-Won gripping their bows, aiming resolutely, and releasing arrows echoed, and a shivering urge passed through her.

In a flash, she had picked up the bow, and held it both of her arms.

Why was this feeling so familiar?

It was slightly heavy but suited her stature.

She had never held it; yet for some reason, she felt as if she was used to handling the weapon.

Looking up, she saw a target several yards away.

Grabbing a quiver of arrows in the cache of weapons and looping it over her shoulder with a metal clip, she blindly reached behind, and expertly pulled out an arrow.

The arrow was a thin wooden shaft with a feathered tail. For some reason, she could tell the arrowhead seemed to be made of a combination of flint and steel.

Keeping her back upright, Yona placed her feet shoulder-width apart, and shifted her weight so her pelvis would move forward.

She lined her body perpendicular to the target, pointed her left shoulder to the target, and held out her left hand out in a position perpendicular to the ground, steadily grasping the bow...

Yona closed her left eye, as she was right eye dominant, and handled the arrow and bowstring with her right hand.

How was she supposed to nock her arrow? She fumbled with the string, closing both eyes.

Suddenly, the knowledge dawned on her.

Opening her right eye again, she pointed her bow down and nocked the back of the arrow to the string by a notch in the end of the shaft.

Lightly placing her index finger above and middle and ring fingers below the arrow, she allowed her thumb to support the back of the arrow.

Then she raised her bow again, her elbow parallel to the ground and vertical towards the target.

Looking straight down the spine of the arrow, she aimed alertly at the target's innermost circle.

Lifting her elbow and shoulder muscles into a "T" shape, Yona drew back the string as far as she could, until sufficient tension was produced in the bow.

She released.

The arrow propelled in a millisecond and silently hit the innermost circle, precisely on the bullseye.

Yona stared with astonishment, her bow falling at her side.

What was going on? Did she actually shoot perfectly? How? It was her first try!

Something like this was next to impossible of all weird occurrences.

_"You began swinging around the guandao like – like you knew how to hold one! Like you were possessed. Like a natural."_

Hak. No way. It was just like he said. She was handling a weapon like she knew how to handle it. Was this some crazy, unknown talent of hers?!

"Why did you use a weapon, Yona? You know that violence is wrong. What got into you?"

 _Father._ Shame rushed through Yona's veins. She acted recklessly again...

 _But Hak and Soo-Won are allowed to yield weapons,_ a new thought entered Yona's head. _Why does Father want to protect me from this? Why is he such a pacifist? Really thinking about it, isn't it extremely stupid? I'm the Princess of Kouka, shouldn't I know how to defend myself?_

Before she could stop herself, she was grabbing another arrow, a powerful surge of craving crashing through her arms as she nocked and aimed –

– and stamped out by Hak, who caught her right arm.

It took a moment for Yona to register what had just happened. Trembling, she looked to her right to see Hak glaring at her with a severe and incredulous expression.

"Princess.." Yet his voice was deathly calm, like he was doing his best to not lose cool. "...What the hell are you doing...? Drop your weapons."

Hak's reflexes were too much for her to bear, his hand was beginning to crush her fingers.

"L-let go, Hak!" Yona cried out.

"Drop your weapons," he repeated.

Yona did as told, and he let go.

The bow, arrow, and quiver dropped to the ground with a clatter.

Neither Hak nor Yona spoke for a few seconds.

Yona broke the silence, looking down at the ground, hair covering her eyes. "When did you even get into the room, Hak? How did you find me?"

"As your guard, I have that sixth sense. I know when there's something weird going on with your head."

"Shut up."

More silence.

"Fine," Hak lashed out, exasperated, "I didn't come here to find you. I came here to get new arrows, because the ones I used became too blunt. To think I would discover you, firing arrows. What the hell. And how the hell did you even end up here?!"

"...Through a secret passageway through the lavatory."

"WHAT?" Hak bellowed. "Through that stinky tunnel Lord Soo-Won showed us years ago?! You were that desperate to obey King Il's orders?! Look at you! How can you call yourself a Princess?"

Yona's cheeks burned in shame; her dress was pocked with dust stains. "Look," she retorted, "it's not like any waste was there! That tunnel's old and dusty, okay?"

"So what? Why the hell are you practicing archery? You know King Il forbade you from doing this. I never thought you would have a problem with Lord Soo-Won and I practicing alone."

"I know!" Yona's voice rose. "I know..." she lowered her volume. "I... It's because... I..." her voice was stuck.

She wasn't sure how to answer Hak without telling him about the events of last night.

At her silence, Hak's head slowly shifted towards the target, and saw her arrow cleanly lodged in the center.

His eyes widened. "No way..." He muttered. "Tell me you didn't... no..."

He desperately wanted the Princess to say that the arrow didn't belong to her, but Yona said nothing.

"...Where... where did you receive this training?" Hak finally asked. "This... this is a 80 lb war bow. You shouldn't be able to do... this!" He pointed straight at the bullseye.

Yona's head was spinning. She had broken out into a cold sweat. The dizziness was back.

Breathing heavily, she eventually managed, "I – I don't know. I'm not sure why I'm able to. I shouldn't be. Have I… have I always been like this?"

Hak scanned her face. "Princess, you look pale," he said. "Why did you decide to hold this bow? Does this have to do with the way you acted yesterday?"

Yesterday?

_...This was Hak's weapon. It wasn't meant for someone like her._

_Yet, as she saw the smooth and shiny iron cut up close, something within her bubbled for the first time in her life._

_A desire - a thirst - to pick up the weapon - and use it._

_Why was she feeling this way? All this time she'd had no desire to use weapons. She could even say she was afraid of them._

_Yet now, something was drawing her to this guandao, and all of a sudden, before she knew it, she was now somehow yielding it by the pole._

What she had forgotten from yesterday's events flew at her.

"Yes..." She said, fully registering what she felt now, her eyes big as saucers. "Yes... I felt… an urge to use a weapon. My hands and legs were trembling… not with fear, but anticipation and excitement. I felt it yesterday, and now I'm feeling it again."

Just a moment ago, she was calling her Father's pacifistic ideology stupid. The horror hit her.

_What am I saying? Hak must see me as a violent monster!_

She looked at Hak. Unwittingly, tears burned in her eyes, and began to flow down her cheeks. "Is this what they call... bloodlust?"

Hak only stared at her with suppressed shock.

Yona broke down, falling to her knees.

"B-b-but I don't intend to kill anyone!" she wailed, covering her face with her hands. "I didn't m-m-mean to destroy the garden and kill all those plants and flowers! I'm afraid! I'm d-d-disobeying Father!"

A hand patted her on the back. It was Hak, who had crouched down next to Yona.

"...Don't cry, Princess, it was a lucky shot, and at least you're not fainting," he tried to placate her, his voice now softened with patience and understanding. "But don't you feel fatigued right now? You didn't even get much sleep, yet you aren't fainting?"

"I-I-I… think… that's because I've gotten used to the f-f-feeling," Yona blubbered. "T-t-that urge! It's a powerful urge I wasn't used to yesterday, so I fainted. But now I feel it when using any weapon. Plus, this was less h-h-heavy than your g-g-guandao. I could h-h-handle it!"

Hak contemplated. "An urge... so you mean... using a weapon makes you feel more powerful?"

"...Y-y-yeah."

Hak sighed. "I understand what you mean," he started. "I feel like that often. I assure you that's not bloodlust; weapons can defend you. But you can't take that feeling too far. Weapons aren't to be taken lightly. They're used for self-defense, but also to injure and kill, which you can't fathom right now. I hope you never have to. I'm under direct orders by King Il to forbid you from using them, for your protection. So in the future, I will be watching your actions even more."

Hak's words sunk into Yona's consciousness, and eventually reassured her. When her tears stopped flowing, she wiped her face.

"...I know." Yona said at last. "...I've troubled you, Hak. I'm sorry."

Hak patted her head and stood up. "No biggie. I'm not sure how you could shoot so well, but you've been through quite a bit. Your safety and wellbeing is most important. Still, I'll be reporting to his Majesty about this incident once I finish training with Lord Soo-Won."

"N-no!" Yona grabbed at Hak's arm. "Please Hak, Father can't know what I've done!"

"Princess..." Hak looked down at her. "His Majesty probably already knows you're missing. Guards are likely looking for you. And you can't go back up that tunnel alone again."

Yona fell silent. "Yes," she tried again, "I know, but please don't tell him I used weapons. Please, please don't! I didn't originally intend to! Please just tell my father that I was sneaking out into the gardens!"

"You're telling me to lie to King Il about what you did?!"

"I – " Yona hesitated. "If my father knows I was in the armory, my punishment will be much worse. You don't understand, Hak, I – "

_I won't be able to ever get out of my room, possibly. I'll never be able to meet Soo-Won again, either. I just know it._

She couldn't stand such a life. Her eyes set with a blazing glow, and she understood what she had to do. "Hak, I'm sorry, but I order it."

Hak was astounded. "Come again?"

"I order you to not tell my Father about using weapons; instead, tell him I wanted to see the gardens. It's true to some extent."

Hak couldn't move. Slowly, but surely, a rumble of laughter rose in his stomach, and all of a sudden, he was cackling so hard that tears were forming in his eyes.

She was actually serious about this.

"I'm sorry, Princess, but you're seriously ordering me to lie to your father, knowing that he has more power than you?!" Hak gasped from laughter. "What the hell? You are so selfish!"

Yona flushed. "Look, I don't have a choice, you stupid Hak!"

Hak's laughter eventually died down. "Princess," he said seriously. "I agree that King Il's punishments are harsh. But that wouldn't have stopped me from obeying him. The only reason I will obey you is because his orders were just "stop her from using weapons" - not "report back to me the next time you see her use a weapon". So in a way I'm obeying you both by not reporting, and preventing you from using them again. Okay?"

Yona couldn't stop smiling. Hak said that, but he could have easily ratted her out, and chose not to.

"...Thank you, Hak."

_"She never held a weapon in her life, how could she suddenly feel an urge to yield one? My subordinate would never let her touch a weapon."_

So her father had said last night. Of course he would never believe what Yona had done was of her own doing.

Which was convenient. But at the same time, though she inadvertently put Hak's record in jeopardy by going out to meet with Soo-Won, she had failed to meet Soo-Won and get an answer out of him. All because she was enticed by the allure of weapons.

Yona's smile faded.

_I'm sorry, Hak. I've inconvenienced you again. I'll make up for it in the future. Just you wait._


	4. Coincidental Identity

** Coincidental Identity **

* * *

**_"Yona, why don't I read you a good bedtime story?" King Il stepped into 6 year old Yona's room, and sat next to her futon bed._ **

**_"Of course, Father!" Yona pipped up happily. "What are you reading?"_ **

**_Il chuckled and patted her head. "The legend behind the founding of this country, child."_ **

**_Yona's face went blank. "The founding of this country?"_ **

**_He nodded. "The Legend of the 4 Dragons." In his hand was a purple, leather-bound book. He placed it in her lap and opened it, revealing colorful pages that spoke of something ancient._ **

**_Yona stared at them in awe. "Wow..." she breathed. "They're pretty!"_ **

**_Carefully, her father guided her hand and they touched the pages together, as he read the story._ **

**_"Once upon a time, the Crimson Dragon God descended from the Heavens to Earth, and took the form of a human to rule the country. This was the first king of our nation, King Hiryuu. However, he was forced to fight against other humans, because they had forgotten about the Gods and grown wicked. But just before he was about to be killed, the other 4 Dragon Gods flew down from the Heavens to save him."_ **

**_4 dragons of white, blue, green, and yellow were painted like an intricate wind. They had no horns, but long, deer-like antlers, slit nostrils, and crystal scruff on their chins, and hair that extended with a sacred wind, along with their large, flowing, serpent-like bodies that were covered in dragon scales. Their cerulean eyes looked so desperate to save the human who had long, curly crimson hair._ **

**_"Hey... King Hiryuu's hair is just like mine!" Yona realized._ **

_**Il beamed. "Oh, that's right! An interesting coincidence, no?"** _

* * *

_Coincidence?_

Yona sat up in her futon bed, disgruntled.

She'd had another dream, or memory, whatever it was.

The candle clock on her candelabra indicated that it was just before dawn.

It was the morning of the martial arts tournament.

No one was in the room, so Yona dressed and headed to the throne room to pray in Hiryuu Shrine with King Il.

2 days before, Yona had sneaked out to the training grounds to meet with Soo-Won and Hak, and somehow ended up in the armory instead.

Just because of that, she had ended up seeing a weapon, ended up feeling an urge to hold it, and...

_I just... **ended up**... lodging a hole through that target's bullseye, huh?_

_Interesting "coincidences",_ _Father._

After her archery fiasco, Yona had had time to clear her head and look back on her actions.

Her father, Soo-Won, and possibly everyone in the castle were under the impression that she had only gone to the back courtyard gardens.

Hak was the only one who knew the truth. Ever the observant bodyguard, annoyingly sticking close.

Yet _he_ was the only one she could trust to keep her secret.

Especially since she was in a total crux. Oscillating between fear, guilt, and a burning desire to find answers, Yona forced herself to stay low to protect her and Hak's reputations.

If the entire castle knew the truth, surely more rumors would travel far and wide, and she didn't want to think where it could end up.

As she expected, King Il had been displeased by Yona's disobedience and put bigger restrictions on her, not allowing her to stay out of sight of her bodyguard and himself. And now, other guards restricted her from entering the back courtyard gardens.

However, within a day, his demeanor gradually returned into hesitant cheerfulness as Yona continued to ask her father questions about the tournament and helped him with mundane tasks.

After all, her peace-loving father could never stay angry for too long... or so Yona liked to think.

Dinner was eaten in the great hall that night. Yona, Hak, and Soo-Won all sat together, but Yona noted that Soo-Won did not speak anything past pleasant greetings to her during the meal.

Yona went to bed feeling dissatisfied.

"Good morning, Yona. Our prayers await," her father's voice interrupted her silent recollection.

Yona looked up from the castle hall rugs in a start, returning to reality. She had reached the throne room.

"Good morning... Father."

Behind Il, behind the throne, were two big doors.

Il opened the two doors, and a dark underground staircase was revealed. The sweet smell of holy incense from below reached Yona's nose.

Lighting a candle, and slightly aware of the resulting shadows mimicking all their movements, Yona followed her father down the staircase, and opened the door at the bottom.

Hiryuu Shrine was a magnificent, well-kept shrine indeed. Large and rectangular, 6 unlit pillar braziers hung on the right and left, filling the room in darkness.

Using her candle, Yona walked around the shrine and lit them all.

King Il walked forward and stopped in front of a golden circular crest of a large Dragon pinned to the wall. The idol of the shrine.

Below the crest lay the altar, and next to it large box, presumably containing her father's prayer books.

However, King Il never opened this box. So Yona assumed that the prayer books contained sacred verses that her father could only recite when alone.

Surely, when those sacred verses were chanted in Hiryuu Shrine by the king, Kouka Kingdom's prosperity was ensured.

Because after all, this shrine was special.

Each time Yona visited with her father countless times to pray and play, she felt a comforting warmth radiating from this shrine unlike any other.

Additionally, this shrine was the last of its kind.

24 years ago, the Sky Tribe flocked in countless numbers to all the temples belonging to the royal family and the Priesthood.

But then, Yona's uncle and Soo-Won's father, Prince Yu-Hon, persecuted the Priests.

Yona did not know why. All she knew was that now, no one but the royal family entered this shrine.

Piety was an important part of the life of the King and Princess.

After Yona lit the braziers and put out her candle, she lay the candle on the altar.

Then she walked over to stand next to her father, whose eyes were closed and hands were clapped together in prayer.

Yona closed her eyes and clapped her hands together as well.

_Dear Gods in the Heavens, please continue to ensure that our country stays strong and alive. Please continue to ensure the happiness of my family and friends. Please, continue to ensure that this tournament and future tournaments are blessed._

After a moment of silent praying, Yona slowly opened her eyes.

To her surprise, King Il was looking at her with high esteem. He had finished his prayers.

"Seeing you pray so sincerely makes a father proud, Yona," he smiled at her. "You are almost my height now. You will grow into a lovely woman in a year or two. Surely other countrymen will feel proud of Kouka's Princess too."

Yona felt her cheeks redden from embarrassment, guilt, and pride, and she waved her hand in denial. "Oh, Father, what are you saying? Your praise goes too far."

_Still, what would I give to hear the impossible: Soo-Won praising me as 'a lovely woman'..._

Yona paused.

No, that was something the Yona before that nightmare – that argument – would say.

To be honest, she didn't know what to think of Soo-Won anymore. When it came to him, at the moment her heart was muddled with confusion.

Without a doubt she was upset that they couldn't meet. She longed to spend some time with him. For him to smile at her.

But something made her second-guess that. Whether her father was in fact right that it was better that they weren't meeting. If she was supposed to be friendly with Soo-Won as she otherwise would have been.

King Il looked up at the Dragon crest, his eyes brimming with an emotion Yona could not understand.

Curiously, Yona followed his gaze, and father and daughter both faced the crest.

"I am sure it does." King Il finally said, still looking at the dragon crest. "But did you know? That King Hiryuu's spirit is enshrined within that crest? His spirit will bless you, and our country."

_"I told you, Soo-Won. That girl is the reincarnation of King Hiryuu. She is not like you. She_ _is_ _to be protected and cherished."_

Yona's heart dropped, and she stared at her father in horror.

_I am the reincarnation of King Hiryuu, is what he told Soo-Won._

_Was Father speaking the truth?_ _How does Father know? How long has he known?_

_Why am I the reincarnation? What does it really mean to be the reincarnation?_

Her father watched her face in concern. "What is the matter?"

"Ah!" Yona jumped. So many questions had gone through her head in a split second, she didn't even know where to start. "Oh, um, nothing! I just felt a little tired as it's early in the morning, sorry. His s-spirit will bless me, you say? That's good!"

Surely she could not directly ask her father any of those questions. She did not want to raise any more suspicion.

_Either he intends to tell me someday or... never did._

Yona felt hurt at the possibility.

Why would her father keep this a secret from her this whole time? Why would he hide things from her?

_"Believe me, Yona. I know what is best for you, I am doing this for your welfare. One day you will understand."_

Was it for her welfare? For her protection? Was it better that she didn't know? Was that what she was supposed to understand?

"Hey Father..." Yona gulped, and then asked, "...is King Hiryuu a real person?"

"Of course, my dear."

"But does everyone know that? Or believe that?"

How many people knew who she was? Was Soo-Won one of them? Was that why her father was angry with him?

Her father's face darkened. "Coincidentally not. There are believers and nonbelievers all around. Priests used to be here," Il said, "but after they were all expelled from the castle, faith in the Sky Tribe has ultimately declined. Still, there are other tribes who are devout believers. As long as we worship Hiryuu, the country's stability is warranted."

King Il and all his "coincidences".

"I see."

_Unfortunately, Father did not take the hint that I was asking about myself. It appears that he currently has no intention to tell me who I am._

But that was fine. Judging by all previous strange occurrences, it was better to not get caught up into any trouble.

She desperately wished to not make her father any more unhappy with her than he already was.

 _Perhaps he has a good reason for not telling me certain things_ , Yona convinced herself. _More importantly..._

_...The Priests were expelled by Uncle Yu-Hon, right? Why? Does that have to do with Father saying Yu-Hon is violent and arrogant?_

"Oh?" Il noticed the room was glowing with a different light from the lit braziers. "Are those the first glimmers of sunlight? It appears dawn has arrived."

"You're right, Father. The sunlight must be coming through the creaks of the door above."

Right now, Hak and Soo-Won had likely woken up, and were likely preparing for the tournament with others.

Whereas Min-Su was probably with the other medical officers to provide for back-up in case something happened to any warriors.

Hak was likely excited to meet Mundok and the rest of the Wind Tribe, again, wasn't he? Soo-Won would also meet them.

Too bad she would only get to meet Mundok after the tournament, as she was not allowed to attend.

Yona bowed to the crest containing King Hiryuu's spirit, then to King Il. "Father, may this auspicious occasion bless you as well. Enjoy the tournament."

King Il touched her shoulders. "Thank you, Yona. Enjoy your time in the library."

* * *

Yona had managed to convince her father to let her stay in the library upstairs, practicing calligraphy instead of doing nothing in her room during the tournament.

Originally King Il had been against it; but she insisted that she wouldn't go off anywhere. In fact, she was glad that she wasn't.

The last thing Yona wanted to see was a weapon. She hoped focusing on other hobbies would cause this newfound interest in weapons to pass.

Hearing all this, King Il had finally relented, with the condition that she was not allowed to go downstairs.

Guards were stationed around all exits of the castle to stop her if necessary.

The tournament was at noon, and now, it was around 10. There were at least 2 hours left for the tribes to prepare.

With a creak, the heavy door opened, and Yona entered the room. Taking a deep breath, she surveyed her surroundings.

Numerous shelves with smart, shiny books lined the vast walls. Books that she had never bothered to really read, as reading was never her forte.

She was educated to read through formal education by a special tutor hired by her father, but when she followed letters crawling on paper, she found herself dozing, and no matter what she did, she couldn't make myself like to read.

However, seeing all these books instead of weapons felt like Heaven now. They fed her hope that she could continue her old life.

So of course it was an unpleasant shock, when the next thing Yona saw, was Soo-Won sitting at one of the desks alone, reading a book.

Soo-Won looked up and saw her.

Yona quickly suppressed the urge to scream.

Her heart raced, but not the way it did before.

 _Soo-Won alone is not the problem, dear. It's who_ you _became when encouraged towards an inclination to use weapons – by_ anyone _. Hak can practice sword-fighting and archery all he wants with Soo-Won. But you can't, because we're not sure what will happen to you."_

Not only was she afraid, but she felt rather annoyed.

She was doing her best to be a dutiful daughter. So why?

_Why are you here, stupid Soo-Won?_

Yona recalled her father's words to Soo-Won.

_"The next time you try to be alone with her, I will order my guards to separate you two."_

If her father was here, he would send in guards and this would become an incident.

But right now, they were the only two people in this room. Most of the guards stationed were more concerned with what King Il was doing.

Soo-Won's eyes widened at the sight of her, and then he instantly hid his startlement behind a smile.

"Yona, I didn't expect you to be here. How have you been? Hopefully you're feeling better."

It was the first time they had conversed alone after she fainted in the back courtyard gardens.

"...Yes, I'm better." She feigned a collected voice, but her words were true. She hadn't felt dizzy for a day now. "I didn't expect you to be here either, Soo-Won. Aren't you supposed to be outside preparing for the tournament?"

"Ah, I am not participating. My specialty lies in cheering, I suppose." He scratched his head.

Yona was surprised, despite herself.

"What? B-but why?" She blurted. She couldn't believe that he had the inability to fight when she didn't even have the luxury to watch. "Surely you can fight, right? You can at least join an archery competition. All you have to do is nock some arrows. Did you injure your eye during training? Which are you, right-eye dominant or left?"

It was Soo-Won's turn to be surprised. "You... know of those terms...?"

Yona was surprised at his surprise. "What do you mean? Why would I not – oh!"

No, the reason she knew of things like "nocking" and "eye-dominance" was because of her archery fiasco. No one expected this from her.

Why was she even talking about this with Soo-Won? Not only would it raise his suspicion, but the last thing her father would approve of was her talking about _weapons_ with him.

Was it Soo-Won's fault she was like this?

Yona uncomfortably twirled her hair, and looked away with a fake smile. "Ohhhh, that! That was – " She shrugged sheepishly. "My father! He – well, uh – just told me a few things."

"King Il told you about archery terms?" Her excuse had the opposite intended effect; Soo-Won only looked more bewildered.

Yona wanted to bang her head into a wall. They couldn't continue this conversation. Where was she supposed to go now?

_Quick, think of another excuse..._

"Uhhh, that's only because he wants me to understand that using weapons and all that violence is bad."

_There. That should get rid of him._

"Besides, I'm not allowed to see the tournament... Anyway!"

Internally, Yona cringed at her abnormally high-pitched voice. She intended to sound composed in front of Soo-Won, but in the end failed.

Would he realize?

"I see." Soo-Won's words sounded convinced, but he did not elaborate.

There was an awkward silence.

What did he think of King Il's restrictions on her? Though it wasn't like Soo-Won was going to sneak her out of them anyway, not through any sort of secret passageway.

_What did he... think of her being the reincarnation of Hiryuu?_

Yona shook her head, putting aside her previous thought. That didn't matter right now.

More urgently, what was she to say to Soo-Won after witnessing an argument between him and her father?

It was a tricky situation to deal with, but at the very least, he seemed normal enough to not stab her father... right?

 _Of course_ , she convinced herself. _That was just a stupid nightmare._

_Father says I'm not to talk with him because I may feel encouraged to use weapons. So I have to end the conversation._

But at the same time, she suddenly realized. If there was any time to confront Soo-Won on his argument and her father, it was _now_.

They probably wouldn't be able to converse like this again. He was leaving the morning after the next.

_I'm sorry, Hak. I've inconvenienced you again. I'll make up for it in the future. Just you wait._

Asking would save another wasted opportunity. That was her promise to Hak in the armory. If not herself, she had to do this for Hak.

Yona opened her mouth to ask, but nothing came out.

Why couldn't she speak?

Soo-Won smiled.

"Well, I must be on my way. The tournament will be starting in a few hours." He closed his book, rose from his chair, and returned it to the shelf to which it belonged. "I will leave you here. You're lucky to have a library this lovely, you know. There are many books I think you will enjoy, Yona."

Yona felt a laugh rise in her throat. As expected, Soo-Won would praise a library as ' _lovely_ ', but not her, who he saw as a child.

 _I hate reading, Soo-Won, don't you know…_? _Can't you wait? There's something I want to ask you..._

Yona wanted to say, but still, no words emitted from her lips.

Without another word, Soo-Won began walking ahead, looking away from her.

_...Soo-Won, you're avoiding me, aren't you? Why can't you say it?_

Yona trembled, gritting her teeth in pain and sorrow.

 _...Why can't_ I _say it?_

As he passed her, it was too much for her bear. The idea that she would never again be able to speak to him like she used to. It overpowered her fear.

"S-S-Soo-Won, wait, I – !" She exclaimed, wheeling around in a breathless haste to face him.

Soo-Won turned around. She hated how he could seem so effortlessly nonchalant, while she was blatantly anxious and flustered. "Yes, Yona?"

She couldn't breathe; she had to ask him. It was now or never.

"I –"

She...

"I need you to tell me something: why did Uncle Yu-Hon drive out Priests from this castle?"

No, fear still stopped her from completely coming clean.

Soo-Won could not believe his ears.

"...Huh...?"

He was staggered by her forward question.

"...Did you just...? Why would you...? Where did that...?"

Immediately, Yona rushed to apologize in a panic, bowing and grabbing his shoulders. "Oh! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for asking! It must have come out of nowhere for you. I'm sorry!"

Soo-Won did not reply at first, as she shook his shoulders. Yona rose, looking up at his disoriented face with dread.

She had asked about his dead father, and the persecution of Priests. Serious, grim topics. She was an idiot. She couldn't blame him if he walked out on her.

It took a moment for Soo-Won to regain his composure.

"...It's okay, Yona."

She let go of his shoulders, flabbergasted. "...What?"

"Yes." Soo-Won answered succinctly. "But... why ask this?"

"I… I just wondered."

"...It's a sensitive topic," he now said quietly, hair falling into his eyes. "It's probably better you ask your father about it instead of me."

Yona pouted. Surely Soo-Won had to realize why she asked _him_ this!

Could she really ask her father about Uncle Yu-Hon when they both knew he had angrily referred to him as _'violent and arrogant'_ two days earlier?

Not that she could tell him this.

"I want to know about it from _you_ , Soo-Won. Y – " Was she supposed to say what was next? If she were going to make Soo-Won answer her, she had no choice. "You're the son of Uncle Yu-Hon after all."

Soo-Won looked sideways, gathering his breath. Surely, Yona was the last person he had expected this question from.

Yona immediately wondered if she should put it off, as it was making him uncomfortable, but –

"...Priests threatened the royal family's authority," he finally said, exhaling. "They could impeach Kings and influence wars. That is why my Father thought the kingdom would be stronger without them."

"...Oh."

Soo-Won was tightlipped. Saying nothing more, he left.

Yona turned around back into the library. She did not want to watch his receding figure; the last time she did, she felt distance and pain.

It was disappointing that in the nick of time, she avoided questioning him about the argument. But at least, she had plucked up the courage to ask him something else.

Had she angered him? At least, she had confused him by asking a controversial question.

A question a child wouldn't normally ask.

Perhaps he thought she was acting a little crazy ever since that evening in the courtyard gardens. Ever since she had picked up Hak's guandao and fainted.

It was true; even if she was no longer dizzy, she still wasn't feeling like herself.

Yona sighed.

_He's not participating in the tournament, huh… even though his father is a great warrior._

It had been a long time since she last asked Soo-Won about Uncle Yu-Hon.

 _The last time... had been a few months after his death, hadn't_ it?

Years ago, they had entered this library together to play. But that was back when Uncle Yu-Hon was alive.

Perhaps that alone made the conversation rough, but either way, Soo-Won was acting differently.

By asking this question, though she intended to gain more information to mend the distance that had been created between them, Yona felt like she had only deepened it.

And the thing that scared her the most: she would have never noticed this distance if she had not seen the nightmare where he stabbed her father.

* * *

"Priests threatened the authority of the royal family. They could impeach Kings and influence wars. Thus, Uncle Yu-Hon thought them a nuisance... that's exactly what this textbook says! Soo-Won told me a textbook answer, not his own!"

Yona huffed alone in the library, closing a history textbook about the expulsion of Priests she had grabbed from a bookshelf.

Apparently many scholars had already written about the incident. Maybe if she actually paid attention to her scholars teacher several years ago, she would have remembered.

_So Soo-Won was stating the obvious, wasn't he? How could you, Soo-Won? That is a generic answer!_

_...You seem to be hiding things too._

Placing the textbook on the desk with a desolate sigh, Yona turned to her calligraphy tools kept in the library.

The tools consisted of a kit of brushes, bottled liquid sumi ink of burnt lamp oil, pine tree soot, and animal glue, and large piece of thick parchment.

Soo-Won hiding things from her... well, that was not something Yona liked at all.

He was the man she was in love with. And perhaps she too was hiding _that_ , as well as a few other things, from him...

_But still... to think it would hurt this much._

Placing her parchment onto a desk and using a paper weight to hold the parchment in place, she expertly opened her bottled ink, and opted for a brush made of horse hair, with a bamboo handle.

Dipping her brush into the bottle, Yona slowly carved out black characters with a semi-cursive script, Gyosho style.

_**God** _

_**Dream** _

_**Soul** _

_**Dragon** _

_**Festival** _

_**Wisdom** _

_**Heaven** _

_**Heart** _

_**Hope** _

For any piece of parchment, a calligrapher had only one chance to create a work with the brush. There was no such thing as a correction or hesitance. The brush did not leave the paper, and every stroke intended to continue to the next. Everything in the calligrapher's heart at that point in time would show on the parchment.

Over the years, Yona had learned to be fluid in her execution. The only way to become a master calligrapher was to clear one's mind and let the characters flow, through the Zen way of the brush. Practice and hard work did nothing. One had to relax and embrace the spiritual side of yourself.

That was why she had wanted to practice calligraphy today. Yona wanted to feel creative and free.

**_Joy_ **

**_Love_ **

**_Bravery_ **

**_Spirit_ **

**_Wealth_ **

**_Harmony_ **

**_Serenity_ **

**_Endurance_ **

_"Priests used to be here, but after they were all expelled from the castle, faith in the Sky Tribe has ultimately declined."_

That was what King Il had told Yona in the shrine.

Yona's thoughts flowed along with her strokes...

_**Faith** _

_**Light** _

_**Health** _

_**Shine** _

_**King Hiryuu** _

Thus, probably very little in the Sky Tribe must really know her father's allegation about her identity.

Was she actually... the reincarnation of a God? Or maybe her father was joking?

To even her own surprise, Yona was taking this information calmly.

_**Crimson** _

_**Hair** _

_**Fight** _

_"Violent, arrogant. A heretic."_

That was how King Il deemed his brother.

_Father didn't seem to like what Uncle Yu-Hon did. He thinks expelling the Priests was heresy. To him, it goes against upholding the stability of the country._

**_Stability_ **

**_Prosperity_ **

"...Then... what is the stability of this country?" Yona wondered aloud for the first time. "As long as someone is worshiping King Hiryuu, the stability of the country is ensured is what Father says… but surely, without Priests… surely it must have become unstable quite a bit."

**_Fate_ **

Her hand stopped when the work of art was finished.

The idea frightened her a little.

Surely, Father's country was happy, was it not? He did not like wars. He aimed to cherish the Gods. As long as there were believers, then...

Yona lifted the brush from her parchment as she looked all the characters she had written one last time, and suddenly, a sizzle of lightning passed through her –

* * *

**_On travel with Hak, Kija, Yun, and Sin-ha, there was a wrecked village in Fire Tribe mountainous territory that Yona had stopped upon._ **

_**There, lay sick, suffering people on the streets. A thin, anorexic woman with a child. Dead people on the grounds, with no food to eat.** _

_**This village had been abandoned by all the generals and the King. For years, the area had been barren and dry. Most of the villagers had been taken to Kuuto to be trained as soldiers.** _

_**Disease had plagued this village, and those who lacked strength died.** _

_**Fire Tribe territory was broad, but infertile. General Kan Soo-Jin continued to waste all money on armaments, and heavily taxed his people.** _

**_"Are you all right?" Yona asked and edged closer when an old man inflicted with illness coughed nonstop._ **

_**"Be careful," Yun warned, "you don't want to get sick too."** _

_**Walking to the old man, Yun crouched down, and held out a container of medicine, water, and fruit. "It may not help much, but here."** _

_**The old man was nearly unconscious, twitching and wincing as Yun helped him up.** _

_**Yona lay the old back against one of the decrepit houses, and poured water down his mouth.** _

_**The old man drank, and after a few moments, began to cough again, now covering his mouth to avoid the spread.** _

_**"...Are you all..." he wheezed, "...from Saika?"** _

_**"No," corrected Yun. "We're just** **travelers** **."** _

_**"I see."** _

_**The old man looked straight at Yona, his mustache and beard sloppy with wet water.** _

_**"Then, have you been to capital Kuuto? They say a new King has been crowned. I wonder what he is like..."** _

_**Yona's breath hitched.** _

_**Hak edged closer to Yona protectively.** _

_**Yona smiled at Hak to assure him she was all right, then turned back to the man.** _

_**"The previous King Il..." The man began to narrate, "...was a a terrible King."** _

_**Yona gasped, her water container falling onto the ground.** _

_**"...He crumbled under pressure from other countries such as Sei and Xing, focusing only on not creating waves of conflict. Yet the 5 Tribes were divided, and Kouka Kingdom fell into chaos. He wouldn't even save weak commoners like us. Whose king was he supposed to even be?"** _

_**The old man reached a weak hand out to the evening sun, panting. "...I hope the new king is good. I hope he changes this country... for the better."** _

_**A terrible, terrible feeling filled Yona's chest. She felt as if she herself had been stabbed.** _

_**The old man looked at Yona with gratitude. "Thank you, young miss. It's been years since anyone touched me."** _

_**Yona smiled cheerfully at the old man, but tears in her eyes. "It's nothing." Her voice had lost its enthusiasm. She felt dead.** _

_**The old man's legs were wretched and thin. A simple fruit, medicine, and half-spilled sack of water would do nothing for him. "Please... take care."** _

* * *

"FATHER!" Yona screamed, jumping back, knocking over her chair and falling on the floor in complete terror. "FATHER! NO! NOOOO!"

The ear-shattering sound of her chair falling over other nearby chairs created a rippling sound effect of crashes.

Yona could not process what she had just seen.

She never felt so sickened and frightened in her life.

Her ink bottle exploded and clattered; ink spilled all over the floor. The parchment lay sprawled, as ink soaked over her characters.

Breathing heavily, Yona grasped at the floor for some way to hold onto sanity, to keep her balance.

She wanted to clean the mess, but she was shaking. She couldn't move. Ink continued to spread over the tiles, like a darkness that would never go away.

Her head was spinning round and round, in circles. The dizziness had returned.

"No, no, no, no..." Yona's other hand clutched her head, gritting her teeth. "No... NO! what I'm seeing isn't real. THEY'RE JUST HALLUCINATIONS!"

Where the hell was that?! Fire Tribe territory! She had never been there in her life!

How could she just decide how it looked, how its conditions were? How General Kan Soo-Jin was? The audacity of her!

None of those travelers – Yun, Kija, and Sin-ha? – _none of them_ except Hak existed!

"IT'S JUST STRESS AND ANXIETY! THAT'S ALL IT IS!"

Her kind, pacifistic father was NOT being replaced by anyone! No one thought he was a terrible King! She refused to believe it!

_But... is there any guarantee that I'm right when I stay in this castle, knowing nothing?_

Anguish choked Yona's throat as this simple truth dawned on her.

Her limbs were aching all over. Why had this happened?! Why couldn't she just attain peace?!

_Why had she held that goddamned guandao?!_

"Am I – " Yona gasped. " – going insane?"

Ink was all over her face, crimson hair, and some of her dress, dying it all black.

She was losing it without doubt.

_I'm sorry, Hak. I've inconvenienced you again. I'll make up for it in the future._

No. Hak was there to anchor her. He was the one completely open with her when it came to anything.

Hak would support her. He was the one she could trust.

She had to stand on her own. For Hak's sake.

Gingerly wiping ink off her face (leaving it to stick onto her hands), Yona picked her bottom off the ground.

Luckily, she hadn't suffered any physical injury.

But now she was unrecognizable.

"W-what time is it..." Yona finally looked at the candelabra in the library. "Oh no... no... no..."

The martial arts tournament was about to commence. How much time had even passed since she entered the library?

"I... can't stay like this, not knowing anything."

It was wrong to disobey her father, but now, Yona felt no guilt, because she had realized.

This wasn't about breaking his orders.

This wasn't about holding weapons, or bloodlust.

There were things that her father hid from her, and had no right to.

She had to tell him what was up with her.

Princess Yona simply wanted truth.

She wanted to confirm that the 5 Tribes were not divided.

Princess Yona needed this to stay sane.

Her father would not understand, but she _would_ make him understand: this was for her sanity, for him, and their country.

Everything was out of her control ever since she had picked up that guandao.

And now, the only way to end it was on _her_ terms.

Feeling a rush of impulse, Yona ran out of the library and to her room.

All guards were stationed at the exits of the castle, so none were outside her room, but when Yona entered, she saw the same court lady who had escorted her to the garderobe 2 days ago.

"Princess Yona...!" The court lady exclaimed, shocked at the wild appearance and black hair of the Princess. "What has happened to you?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Yona answered hastily, walking over to her mirror.

She was no longer Princess Yona. She was a girl with long black hair, moistened and straightened by ink. Taking a brush, she quickly combed her new hair, then tied it into a ponytail.

"Nothing? You look unrecognizable!"

Yona laughed heartily as adrenaline coursed through her veins. Nothing in the world made sense to her, and she was actually going on an adventure to understand it.

"I daresay I look like my mother now! She had long, flowing black hair! A better look, don't you say? Too bad it's not permanent, I've always hated my red hair. Grab me a cloak from my wardrobe, would you?"

But the court lady did not budge. "Princess Yona. If I may ask... why?"

Yona laughed without looking at the court lady. "Why?"

When Yona was met with no reply, she finally turned to really look at the court lady for the first time.

The court lady, who seemed around 10 years older than Yona, was eyeing her suspiciously.

"Well – " Yona tried to sound lighthearted. "I – you know – just want to change my look – "

"Change your look and _sneak outside the castle_ , is it?" The court lady sneered, crossing her arms. "I've caught you red-handed, Your Highness."

Yona's eyes grew in consternation. Her hands, dyed black, lay at her sides.

"What is your name, exactly?"

"Lito, Your Highness. I was standing outside the garderobe when you disappeared." She walked over to Yona, her voice lowering to a whisper. "Your Highness, what I fail to understand is: how exactly did you escape to the gardens from there? If you had jumped out the window, you would be dead."

Yona gulped, remembering the garderobe secret passageway. "That..."

This court lady, Lito, was smart. She hadn't forgotten what happened, and certainly was intent on ratting Yona out.

No, she may have already.

"Cut to the chase," Yona was impatient, hovering between madness. "What do you know?"

Lito raised her eyebrows. "I don't know anything. But one day I will find out. I have told your father the King about these eccentric circumstances. He, on the other hand, may know how you escaped. And still he let you have freedom within this castle. That poor, doting father."

"...My father the king? You're lying."

"I'm not. That king is a complete doormat when it comes to you. And knowing all this, you continue to disobey him like the selfish daughter you are?"

"Stop it!" Yona cried. "You're a court lady, you're not supposed to say this to me! I am the Princess! When my father hears about this – "

"I doubt your father will do anything against me when he hears you're breaking rules, your Highness."

"What do you plan on doing, then?" Yona lashed out, aggravated. "Stopping me? Telling the guards?"

"Oh, not at all," replied Lito. "I plan to watch the show. Do what you like. It's not like anything will make you stop acting like a spoiled Princess. In fact, it's quite beneficial. Once the tournament ends, I will tell him you left, and get a pay raise."

With a smirk, Lito left the room.

Yona was left frozen to the spot, shaken up with rage.

 _Me, spoiled?!_ She thought stormily. _Damn you, you don't understand anything!_

_All I want is to confirm that my father is ruling well! If anyone is selfish, it is you, stupid court lady! Ratting me out for your stupid pay raise!_

"Goodness..." Yona muttered under her breath. "What a rude and conceited person..."

Still, some of the court lady's words did hold some unpleasant possibilities.

_Did Father know of the garderobe passageway...? Did he feel betrayed... and not tell me? Perhaps he is too kind...?_

_It's not like Father knows that I ended up in the armory or used weapons there, though. The passageway can lead to anywhere. Miss Lito may be lying._

Yona sighed as the guilt washed over her. No matter what decision she made, there would always be some controversy.

And she had decided to sneak into the tournament to confirm her father's reign was strong.

If no one was to help her do it, she would have to help herself. She would become a commoner.

And whether her father found out... well, she had no choice but to deal with that when she got there.

Grabbing a cloak from her wardrobe, and putting the hood over her head to cover her face, Yona headed down a staircase that would lead her to the first floor, and from there, the kitchen.

The kitchen was dark and smoky, composed of a buttery, bottlery (for wine), pantry (for perishable foods), and various storerooms (for kitchen utensils and non-perishables).

Yona avoided the ovens and fireplaces, where nearly all the cooks were stationed, and aimed for an empty storeroom, where an assortment of pots, pans, cauldrons, knives, skillets, and ladles lay.

Grabbing a clay pot, Yona next slipped into the pantry, containing wooden cabinetry for cheese, eggs, bread, and fruits and vegetables were stored, along with goods stacked in carts.

Picking out a number of apples and oranges into her clay pot, Yona left for the great dining hall.

There, entering through the screens passage, she gasped.

The great dining hall was completely packed in the light of noon. Not just of the usual castle court ladies and servants, but _guests_.

Many were eating served meals at the tables, but many were also standing, walking about, and conversing.

They were all of different ages, tribes, and social status. Adults, teenagers, elderly, little children. Men and women.

Some were nobles, government officials, aristocrats, some were traders and artisans, and some were farmers and commoners.

Most predominantly came from the 5 Tribes: Sky, Wind, Earth, Water, and Fire.

Yona was able to generally guess who was from which tribe judging by their clothes and ornaments.

The Earth tribes-folk tended to wear skin pelts, jewelry, and ponytails. The Water tribes-folk wore graceful dresses. Wind wore feather headbands. Fire had long hair and carried fans.

Yona's own Sky tribes-folk, particularly the nobility, wore cloud-like, billowing robes.

It was the first time she ever had seen such a variety of people of her country gathered together in one place. They had all traveled from far and wide to get here.

But there were others that she didn't recognize, too. Wearing foreign fashions, like shawls, or embroidered tops, or twisted shoes.

Perhaps those guests were from Sei or Xing? Even a few opportune guests from the Kai Empire in the distant north?

_Father explained to me that many guests would be here, but he never let me see._

Yona felt so small and vulnerable in this huge world.

If any of these people knew the Princess of Kouka had arrived here to make her face public, and against King Il's wishes at that, she would have no freedom.

That was precisely why Yona had disguised herself.

She pushed through the crowds, using her black bangs to shield her eyes so no guards near the exits would possibly recognize her.

Yona strained her eyes towards the dias at the end of the hall, only to stop in her tracks.

The dias was empty. Her father was not there.

"Everyone!" She heard a guard call out. "The tournament is about to begin. The arena is in the main courtyard! The King, 5 generals, and all warriors are gathered there! File in a line!"

In response, the guests began to all leave the hall, one by one after being inspected by guards by the nearest exist. Yona followed in suit.

Eventually, when she reached the front of line, one of the guards stopped her.

"Halt. What are these, Miss?" He asked, mentioning to the fruits in her clay pot.

"Apples and oranges. I come from Kuuto, sir. I'm the daughter of a peddler."

Yona held her breath as the guard inspected her luggage, until he finally let her pass.

The main courtyard had been indeed transformed into a large arena. The air was rich in scents of food, fresh fish and new brews, and a barrage of sounds, explosions, war cries and trumpets resounded. Onlookers were to sit in organized tiered seating, partitioned according to your tribe. The foreign guests would be sitting with the Sky Tribe nobles. A plethora of tents housing soldiers and warriors from each tribe in front of each partition on the main platform.

As Yona was a peddler's daughter from Kuuto, she was to sit in the Sky Tribe partition, with other commoners.

Yona looked down, where the Sky Tribe nobles had closer seats.

Suddenly, her eyes spotted a patch of dirty blond hair, tied into a side-tail. The person it belonged to had intense shamrock eyes and sat far away from her, spectating the happenings of the arena.

_Soo-Won?_

She had to avoid him.

An array of Sky Tribe soldiers trumpeted Kouka's anthem, and as they did, each tribes' best warriors flooded out from the tents.

First came the Wind Tribe warriors, some of them wearing feathers, and all of them holding spears, all led by a bearded old man with a thunderous aura.

Yona's eyes lit up like rain droplets, and she grinned with joy. _Mundok!_

However, right on Mundok's heels was a familiar man who stood prepared and tall. Wearing different robes from the rest, he carried a guandao.

_That guandao. Hak._

She was awed by his visible strength and determination. Today would be the first time she saw the new Wind Tribe general in combat.

Next, exited Earth Tribe warriors, with swords. Yona quickly realized why they all wore ponytails: they all admired the wildly popular General Geun-tae.

General Geun-tae yelled, "hello, Kouka!"

The audience cheered. General Geun-tae was a famous warrior from King Joo-nam's era, her father had told her once. He had a cute, drastically younger wife named Yuno. They had met a few times during 5 Tribe meetings, and his presence had always seemed like a distantly related uncle to Yona.

Then, came the Water Tribe warriors. The one leading them was not the General Joon-gi, however, who was known to not involve himself in battle. They were comprised of both men and women, and the ones who led them were two women. One had curly blond hair and smiled brightly at the crowd, the other had black hair and seemed stoic.

Yona leaned forward, curious. The two women carried sheaths, so they likely carried swords. But they both had their fists out. Were they participating in hand-to-hand combat? She was interested in seeing how that would go.

Finally, came the Fire Tribe warriors, holding bows and arrows. They were led by General Kan Soo-Jin, and presumably his two sons. Yona only knew the younger one, Kan Tae-Jun. A pompous man about 8 years older than her, who often tried to gain her favor to the throne, and ultimately failed.

But today, Tae-Jun was not the reason Yona felt a surge of caution travel through her veins. It was his father.

Today, she planned to find out if Kan Soo-Jin truly taxed his people.

On the main end of the arena was a raised platform, where King Il sat on a single throne. Behind him stood the Sky Tribe's famed General Joo-doh, who was Yona's bodyguard in the past.

_...Father._

Now she saw her father from the perspective of a stranger.

King Il mentioned to Joo-doh, then, Joo-doh raised a red flag:

"LET THE MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT, BEGIN!"


End file.
